


Caught in the Rain

by Ayesha_Altugle



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute, Fluff, Fluffy, M/M, Non-Canon Relationship, Romance, just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 22:10:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14435148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ayesha_Altugle/pseuds/Ayesha_Altugle
Summary: Artie and Kurt get caught in the rain.





	Caught in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Just a sweet little Artie and Kurt story, a pairing I randomly got the idea to write about. Takes place right after Quinn has her baby.
> 
> Note: I wrote this before the actor for Finn: Cory Monteith died, may he rest in peace. Also this was before we learned about the pedophilia charges brought toward the actor who plays Puck: Mark Salling. I have uncomfortable feelings toward the show, reading and writing fanfiction for it, because I don't know if I can separate art with the artist, but I really love this story and it barely mentions the character Puck.

Watching as Mercedes followed Quinn and Puck into the delivery room, Kurt couldn't help feeling like he was the one about to burst. He rubbed his eyes, surprised they were blurred with tears. All around him, his friends looked just as stressed as he felt. He really liked Quinn and Mercedes was his best friend and then there was Puck. Kurt didn't care much for the jock, though he still wondered how it would feel to see your baby being born right in front of you and then having to give it away.

* * *

Slowly, with a drag to his feet, Kurt walked over to where Artie was sitting in his wheelchair. He looked down at his friend for some time, before the Artie noticed him. Artie looked at him and smiled.

"Any reason why you're staring at me? It's kind of creepy to be honest," Artie said, laughing good naturally. Kurt didn't answer right away and when he finally opened his mouth to say something, Artie was starting to feel annoyed.

"Seriously dude, that's stalkerish," Artie grumbled. "Fine, don't tell. Go ahead and stare."

"Sorry," Kurt said. He rubbed his eyes and then shook his head. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Kept thinking about the other day, you know? About the baby. She needs her mother; her real mother." Kurt looked seriously troubled. Artie wheeled closer to him, gently bumping his leg with his wheels. He had a feeling where this was going and he couldn't help feeling his heart tightening up in his chest.

"You were eight when your mom got sick, right?"

All Artie got in answer was numb nod.

"Sorry man." Artie mentally kicked himself, angry that he couldn't say anything more eloquent then that. He wasn't a poet, but he wished in this moment that he was. It was kind of a crime seeing Kurt so troubled like this.

"I'm fine. It just bothers me. But whatever, it was Quinn's choice to give her own baby away. I mean, she's sixteen, right?"

Quinn used to be a star cheerleader. Artie and Kurt would have never became her friend if it hadn't been for the Glee Club, and then when she found out she was pregnant, the girl did a complete one-eighty. Both Artie and Kurt and a few others in the club had a newfound closeness with her.

"Your mom didn't give you away, Kurt. She didn't leave you, man, she had to want you more then she wanted anything else in the world. Look at you, Kurt. Who wouldn't adore you. You get me? I know this whole Quinn and baby thing has got you thinking a lot about what happened when you were a kid. But don't you forget what you still have." Artie thumped Kurt's leg with his wheels again and gave the younger male a lopsided smile.

They shared some sort of understanding, Artie and Kurt. Kurt lost his mom and Artie almost lost himself. Kurt was gay and Artie was the freak in a wheelchair, though those were not the words his friends would ever use for him. Still, some kids could be cruel.

"I was talking about Quinn . . . and baby Beth," Kurt said as he was wiping away his tears.

"I know, I know," Artie consoled. "Do you want to talk more about them?"

Kurt bit his lip and then nodded.

* * *

"What's going on with Kurt?" Finn asked, looking around at the lunch table. The jock had a wide variety of friends now, all thanks to Glee. There had been times when he wanted to turn around and go back, when he couldn't handle all the teasing and bullying, not to mention the slushies to the face, but he was glad he had stuck it out. They were good people and he really cared for them. Sort of like a weird little family.

"You're almost his step brother, dude and you share a bedroom," Puck snorted with laughter. "Shouldn't you already know the answer to that question? Little girl wannabee not letting you in or something?" He was the only one to laugh at his joke. Everyone else just rolled their eyes. They were used to Puck's rude attitude by now and more then that, they knew deep down, somewhere he had a soft spot.

"I'm not gay..."

"No, he's not," Rachel and Quinn said at the same time.

"Hey guys, back to the important topic," Artie yelled, waving his arms around to get some attention. "You know if I could, I'd put my foot up..."

Tina shushed Artie by putting her hand over his mouth. "We don't need you to finish that sentence. Bad imagery, love."

Artie rolled his eyes, before pushing his almost girlfriend away from him. There had been a time when they would have been good for each other, though it became clear to Artie that they just wouldn't work. Tina wanted to dance and Artie would never be able to give that to her. He saw that when she and Mike did that dancing duet together and the way she looked at him.

"So really what's going on with him?" Finn asked. He wished they could go through one day without any drama, but it was always around them.

"Uh..." Artie glanced between Quinn and Puck, not sure how to explain things with them there. He didn't want to upset them anymore then they already were. So he said it the only way he knew how. Artie was painfully blunt sometimes. "He's upset at Quinn for giving the baby away..."

"What? But that has nothing to do with him," Quinn cried. "Puck and I talked about it. We didn't let Beth go lightly and we made sure she would be loved."

"It made him think about his mom. He barely remembers her or what it's like to have a mom. I tried to explain... she wanted him and you wanted Beth, but there are..."

Quinn stood up with a determined look on her face. Rachel stood up, too.

"I understand. I'm going to go talk to him," Quinn said.

"I'm going, too."

Everyone looked at Rachel in surprise.

"Uh, but Kurt hates you, Rachel," Mercedes pointed out.

"I'm quite aware that our personalities don't exactly go together and that we've had our diva moments, but I have never had a mother and mine did give me away and my two gay dads raised me very well, but I've been missing something. I understand, I think. I want to help."

"This could ether go really well or really bad," Finn whispered with a wince.

* * *

"Are you okay, Kurt?" Artie asked as he and the younger male were heading toward Breadsticks. They had decided to go on foot, or on wheels, in Artie's case, since they were in walking distance to the diner.

"Quinn and Rachel..."

"I know."

"Both of them."

"I know."

"They tried to give me a pep talk."

"I know. I'm sorry. You know girls."

"But Quinn AND Rachel! That was the most traumatic thing I've ever went through, Artie. If I hear one more "look on the bright side" from Rachel, I swear I will never wear Gucci again."

Artie chuckled. "I don't believe that."

Kurt sighed. He stopped pushing Artie and looked down at his head. "You could stand to wear some, Artie. You could borrow some of my stuff if you wanted."

Looking up at Kurt, Artie shook his head. "No thanks, I like my fashion, thank you very much."

"You mean lack of?"

"How did the conversation get turned around to me?" Artie whined.

"Fashion is a serious thing, almost as serious as the baby drama..."

"Yes," Artie nodded. He knew what Kurt was doing. Shutting down, closing himself off, moving on... Maybe the girls really got to him? Artie could hope, though he had no idea what they said to him, only that Kurt still found Rachel annoying. "Fashion is very important, which begs the question, why are you wearing the same jacket you wore two weeks ago, Kurt?"

Kurt mock gasped. "I am? Oh God, I didn't even notice." He scrambled to take the jacket off, dropping it on top of Artie's head. "You keep it, please."

With a laugh, Artie shrugged and then pulled the jacket on over his suspenders. "Nice, suspenders, checkered shirt tucked into my pants with a belt and a Prada jacket."

"How did you know it was Prada?"

"I've been around you for too long, Kurt."

Looking down at the ground, Kurt frowned, until he felt Artie's soft hands tugging on his hand.

"I didn't say that was a bad thing. Smile and push me faster. I'm starving, man!"

With a blush and a tickled laugh, Kurt did as he was told. That was how they met up with their friends. Kurt wearing his amazing Prada ensemble, minus his jacket, and Artie snuggled up in said jacket, looking totally ridicules and mismatched. Neither noticed the strange looks their friends gave them.

* * *

"Is that a Prada jacket with Walmart sneakers?" Rachel teased.

"I think it looks good," Kurt said. He smiled and pushed Artie over to their table.

"You wouldn't step foot in Walmart even if your life depended on it," Artie said, "so how can you lie, even to joke around, about it looking good on someone?"

"Don't tell anyone, but it's not always the clothes that makes the man." Kurt winked down at Artie, leaving Artie wondering what he meant by that.

* * *

"You sure you don't want a drive?" Finn asked. "We live in the same place, remember Kurt?"

"No thanks," Kurt answered. "We're just going to walk. My cars back at school anyway."

"Well he's going to do the walking," Artie joked. "I'm just going to lay around while he does all the work."

"Is that right?" Kurt huffed. "I see how it is!"

"O-kay, you kids have fun then..." He said as he and Rachel headed for his car. "I think they're both going crazy."

Rachel nodded. "Are you sure you're not jealous because you are no longer in the center of Kurt's universe?"

"Hello, the whole not gay thing. Does that ring a bell with you?"

"You still like the attention. I guess it's a good thing he's moved on since you're gonna be brothers soon."

"And since I'm in love with you."

"I forgot."

"Evil."

* * *

"Ah, this is so not happening!" Kurt moaned. He stopped pushing Artie, flinging his hands up to the Heavens. "Do you hate me?" Artie wondered if he was talking to God or his mother.

"It's only a little rain, Kurt."

"But I'm wearing Prada! It's brand new."

"It won't melt. It's just clothes! Come on, push me. We're almost there and then you can get inside Navigator."

"Oh, this is just great," Artie fumed. He flapped his arms around, as if trying to dry them off, though that would be impossible.

"I thought it was just rain, Artie?" Kurt smirked down at his friend.

"Five minutes ago, but now it's a monsoon!"

"Oh, but you won't melt, right?"

"You are a brat."

"I've been called worse," Kurt laughed.

"But haven't you ever seen The Wizard of Oz?" Artie cried.

"Are you trying to tell me you practice witchcraft or something?" Kurt blinked, confused by how the conversation changed.

"No, I'm going to turn into the freaking tin man!" Artie grabbed the handlebars of his wheelchair and tried to pop a wheelie. He could practically hear the chair turning into rust.

"Oh that... we'll get you a new one, maybe invest in one that won't rust..."

"Can't afford that, dude," Artie mumbled. "The wheels stuck in mud..."

"Then I'll carry you back." Kurt got down on his knees, putting the wheelchair in safety lock. The mud and water soaking through his clothing didn't seem to affect him at all. Artie just looked at him like he had grown another head.

"You can't possibly carry me? I'm like dead weight, Kurt and I'm bigger then you," Artie protested.

"Pfft, have you seen how fat Rachel is? I've had to lift all the girls during routines, I think I could lift you."

"Rachel isn't fat."

"Oh, I just meant her ego." Kurt looked up at Artie, wiping his hair out of his eyes. He left a mud streak on his forehead. "Come on, Artie. Just trust me. I'm not going to fondle you or something."

Artie actually blushed. "For the record, it's only my legs that are paralyzed."

"Noted." Kurt looked away from Artie, thankful that the unexpected storm had made it so dark outside.

"Dude, are you blushing?" Artie asked quietly.

"Hey, you blushed first, okay? Leave me alone; I'm a gay teenager. What do you expect?" Kurt huffed.

"Well yeah, but look at me... I'm helpless in a wheelchair and you'd still... think that way?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not shallow. Okay, so I'm very serious about fashion and I want to look my best, and makeovers are like crack to me, but I'm not shallow. I'm gay. You're cute and sweet. End of story. No big deal. I'm not confessing my never ending love to you or something."

Artie nodded. "Okay. Don't drop me."

"Excuse me?" Kurt blinked. This was the weirdest conversation he had ever taken part of in his life.

"You said you'd carry me. I'm not loving this rain and you look like a mud monster."

Kurt gasped and laughed at the same time. "Oh no."

"Yes, it's true."

"I'm going to die, Artie."

"It'll be okay. I promise."

Kurt stood up and with a little struggle managed to pull Artie out of his wheelchair and into his arms. Artie was heavier then most of the girls he'd had to lift, but he knew he could do this.

"I know. I trust you Artie."

* * *

"Artie, sorry about your wheelchair. That's the old one with the crooked wheel, isn't it?" Kurt frowned, watching as Artie strained to wheel himself over to him. "Can Mr. Rusty be restored?"

"Mr. Rusty is beyond repair. He's got rust in all the wrong places, but it's not your fault. Rain wasn't even on the forecast."

Kurt frowned. He didn't like how hard it was for Artie to get around. "Well I have something for you. I hope it helps."

* * *

Kurt pushed Artie to the music room. He put a blindfold around his eyes and stole his glasses. Artie showed a lot of trust toward Kurt and Kurt knew it.

"Here we are." Kurt took off Artie's blindfold and handed him his glasses. "Look there," he pointed toward the stage area. Artie followed Kurt's pointing finger, surprise lighting up his face when he saw a brand new wheelchair.

"It's out of material that won't rust. It took a while before I could find a manufacturer who made them. I knew there must be such a thing and there was." Kurt smiled, pleased with himself.

Artie felt speechless and it took a few minutes until he could open his mouth. "How could you afford this?"

"I used my clothes budget for the next couple months."

"You're going to wear last months clothes for me?"

"Yeah... so do you like it? I really wanted to... Is it the wrong color?" Kurt's eyes widened.

"It's silver, the standard color of wheelchairs, Kurt. Of course it's the right color, and of course I love it. It sure beats trying to get this bent wheel to turn and the no rusting is obviously a plus."

"Plus?" Kurt fidgeted with his shirt sleeves, feeling enormously anxious.

"So I can get caught in the rain with you again."

"And why would you want to? It's wet and muddy..."

"Could be romantic too, I mean if you're into that kind of thing."

"Guys?"

"No, me."

Kurt blushed. "I'm really, really confused, Artie."

"You think I'm not? A few weeks ago all I could think about a Gothic chick named Tina."

"Now?"

"A snappy dresser named Kurt."

Smiling, Kurt leaned down and inwardly chuckled when he saw Artie suck in his breath. 'Not yet Artie,' he thought. He reached for the boy's hands and pulled him up to him. The trust Artie gave Kurt was almost overwhelming.

"You should try on the new chair, Artie."

* * *

"I wasn't going to say anything, but what are you wearing, Artie?"

Artie smiled. "Something very special to me, Tina." He hugged the Prada jacket closer around his thin frame.

Tina nodded. "It's strange how things work out, but I'm happy for you. I really am."

"Thank you. You're still my girl, Tina. If Mike hurts you I will run over his toes, okay?"

"Thanks and I'll bitch slap Kurt if he hurts you."

* * *

Kurt and Mike exchanged a look with each other. "Think we should say something?" Mike asked.

"No, we're safe where we are," Kurt said mock seriously.

"Maybe we shouldn't spy on them anymore."

"I think that would be wise," Kurt agreed. "Besides I trust him."

"Me too. I mean, I trust Tina," Mike corrected. "So then why have we been following them exactly?"

"I don't remember." Kurt rubbed the back of his neck. He smiled softly when he heard Artie mention his name with an adoring voice.

* * *

"It's just rain," Kurt snickered. "I thought you wanted to get caught in the rain with me again, Artie!"

"That was an expression!"

"Okay, you're more high maintenance then me," Kurt laughed.

"Tin Man, Kurt. I can't help having the irrational fear of turning into a tin man."

Kurt leaned down and kissed Artie on the lips. Their first kiss. He pulled back slightly. "Are you still thinking about that?"

Artie's answer was to pull Kurt down into another kiss.

FIN


End file.
